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An apparatus for shipping articles under controlled temperature conditions, having alternating enclosure walls for providing temperature insulation and for providing alternating reservoirs of phase change materials, wherein the respective phase change materials are different in each alternating rese

An apparatus for shipping articles under controlled temperature conditions, having alternating enclosure walls for providing temperature insulation and for providing alternating reservoirs of phase change materials, wherein the respective phase change materials are different in each alternating reservoir. The innermost reservoirs comprise a thermal insert which modifies the control temperature inside the container.

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What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus defining a retention chamber and having sequential layers of (i) an inner phase change material having a melting point, (ii) a first layer of thermal insulation, (iii) an outer phase change material having a melting point which is different from the melting point

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus defining a retention chamber and having sequential layers of (i) an inner phase change material having a melting point, (ii) a first layer of thermal insulation, (iii) an outer phase change material having a melting point which is different from the melting point of the inner phase change material, and (iv) a second layer of thermal insulation, wherein the retention chamber is fully encompassed by the inner phase change material. 2. An apparatus, comprising: (a) a first enclosure defining a retention chamber and containing a first phase change material having a melting point which completely encompasses the retention chamber, (b) a first insulating layer completely encompassing the first enclosure, (c) a second enclosure containing a second phase change material having a melting point which is different from the melting point of the first phase change material, wherein the second phase change material completely encompasses the first insulating layer, and (d) a second insulating layer completely encompassing the second enclosure. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus has a lid. 4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the apparatus has a lid. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inner phase change material contains D2O. 6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first phase change material contains D2O. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inner phase change material is D2O. 8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first phase change material is D2O. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer phase change material contains H2O. 10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second phase change material contains H2O. 11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer phase change material is H2O. 12. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second phase change material is H2O. 13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the difference between the melting point of the inner phase change material and the melting point of the outer phase change material is several degrees Celsius. 14. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the difference between the melting point of the first phase change material and the melting point of the second phase change material is several degrees Celsius. 15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an outermost shell. 16. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising an outermost shell. 17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is a rectangular box. 18. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the apparatus is a rectangular box.